The Hutcheson Memorial Forest (HMF) is a unique area consisting of one of the last uncut forests in the Mid-Atlantic States, along with the surrounding lands devoted to protection of the old forest and research into ecological interactions necessary to understand the forest. The tract is administered and protected by Rutgers University.

It is apparently the only uncut upland forest in the Piedmont of New Jersey, and appears on the National Park Service Register of Natural Landmarks.

Tours leave from the entrance of the woods on Amwell Road (Rt. 514) in Somerset. From New Brunswick, follow Hamilton Street west past JFK Blvd, Cedar Grove Lane and Elizabeth St. HMF is on the left past Gardener's Nook Nursery. The driveway is located just past the guardrail over the brook (map).

The trail may be muddy in places so come prepared.
The tour through the woods and fields takes between one and two hours.

Tours are free and reservations are not required for these guided tours.**

Groups of more than ten persons may not attend the guided tours. Such groups are invited to arrange special tours.

To make special arrangements please contact:
Land Manager, Hutcheson Memorial Forest Center,
Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources,
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
732-932-9349x16,
hmfdirector@aesop.rutgers.edu

For more information and a complete tour schedule for spring/summer 2010 visit: http://rci.rutgers.edu/~hmforest/

Shortly before the inauguration the new governor's transition team published a series of white papers offering pretty detailed assessments and recommendation for state agencies. That includes a 21 page report of recommendations for the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. I am surprised I haven't seen a little more online parsing out the many little pieces. The report on Education includes a call for tougher tenure standards in public K-12 schools and says that NJ needs to start investing in capital improvements for Higher Education.

The Rutgers Stewardship Program is seeking one or two additional students to do internships for credit in the for the Spring Semester 2010. Students can earn three credits working for the Rutgers Stewardship Program of the Solid Waste Resource Renewal Group through the experience-based Student to Professional Intern Network (SPIN) program.

Both the stewardship programs have opportunities:

The Foran Conservation Garden is a effort to create an entire "garden room" in the courtyard between Foran Hall and the Cook Douglass Lecture Hall through stewardship by all of us-the students, staff, faculty, alumni/ae and other community members who study and work on the Rutgers campus. The courtyard includes a native plants garden surrounding Spiral Field, a sculpture by Charles Fahlen (1993). The courtyard also includes several rain gardens, small native plant gardens which serve to recharge rainwater to underground aquifers. The Foran Garden effort has been a team effort, including Kaitlin Fischer, a Rutgers Student (past coordinator), Zane Helsel from the Plant Biology and Pathology Department; Stephanie Murphy from the
Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory; Tony Sgro and Barry Bailey from the Facilities Department; Don Knezick from Pinelands Nursery; Bruce Crawford from Rutgers Gardens; Joseph Heckman, Edward Durner and Glenn Tappen of the Organic Farm and Hort Farm 3; Jean Marie Hartman and Drew Siglin from the
Landscape Architecture Department; and the many volunteers who came out to our garden events.

Rutgers Recovering Our Resources (RROR) is a program which involves volunteers collecting usable items which would be otherwise discarded by students at the end of the school year, and selling the collected items in a beginning of fall rummage sale. We started the program last year. Like the Foran Conservation Garden, RROR is a team effort of many departments at Rutgers. We need students to help coordinate volunteers and outreach, and help us plan for a really big collection this year. Don't miss this opportunity to reduce our environmental impact and provide cheap but good items to buy at the same time.

27 January 2010

One of the great thrills of teaching is seeing the students excel. I have to brag on some of our students who did a great job at NJ ASLA. The students from the Fall 2008 studio looking at the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed were represented by Ben Heller and Ed Krafcik. The design work was presented in a remarkably professional lecture, in which they were both energetic and relaxed. And, on Monday the class brought home a design award too. Well done!

26 January 2010

In a bit of a shocker, the Perennial Plant Association has picked Baptista australis as the 2010 Perennial Plant of the Year. More commonly known as Blue false indigo, it stood out to the selection committee because it "grows across a wide range of zones and is one of the most adaptable native species."

Having picked the violet colored Geranium 'Rozanne' in 2008 and a grass in 2009, fans of yellows and reds were hoping this might be their year to return to the spotlight. Instead they'll have have to relish the glory days of the Lenten Rose in 2005 and just hope for a brighter future. Maybe yarrow can still have its day soon, but right now indigo gets to hog the attention.

An arborist's view of sustainable landscapes: The Sustainable Sites Initiative is emphasizing many of the practices arborists have developed and promoted for over 25 years, including soil and plant analysis, comprehensivesoil management, plant health care and integrated pest management, invasivespecies management, and a variety of "green" programs. I will discuss how Landscape Architects can, and should, work together to make landscapes sustainable.

Neil Hendrickson got his BS from Cook College. He has a Masters in Forest Science from UNH and a PhD in Forest Ecology and Silviculture from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He taught in the graduate program in resource management at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada. He has been a practicing arborist for the last twenty years. As Northeast Technical Representative for R.A. Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories in Charlotte, NC, he conducts research and provides technical support for Bartlett both in the U.S. and globally, often lecturing for the green industry. He is a Certified Arborist, a NJ certified Tree Expert, and
a member of the Society of American Foresters.

(BTW, The photo is of what is claimed to be the most photographed tree in the world. But it probably isn't really. It probably isn't sustainable either.)

In past years I've had some students tell me that all the meetings are on the same nights. Here are some Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night meeting. Surely one of them doesn't conflict with your night class.

Preservation Magazine named its Best and Worst moments in preservation for 2009. The best included the High Line and the worst includes the continued loss of landmark modernist architecture that may still be too recently built to have strong public support.

23 January 2010

Locals may immediately notice that we haven't had rain this week. It turns out that this is about a much more persistent problem - a different one than plagues the Atlantic side of the County. Interesting stuff.

When a new governor is elected, it is widely understood that they will replace the old political appointees in the cabinet with one of their own. To the victor go the spoils, right? Governor Christie has already named several new Secretaries or Commissioners as part of that process. But, when it came to the Ag Commissioner Christie's transition team had to deal with a process that was different than the rest because of the politics behind the 1947 state constitution.

This has traditionally been a less politicized position in favor of stability. For around a 70 year period, from 1938 to 2008, there were only four Commissioners (Willard Allen, Philip Alampi, Arthur Brown and Charles Kuperus). If I have my math right, Republican Charles Kuperus served exclusively under Democratic administrations.

Anyway, I am told that there is an "emergency" open-to-the-public Ag Board meeting TODAY at 3 at the Rutgers Eco-Complex where they will be discussing the future of the Commissioner as well as the future of the Department. Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore will be representing the transition team's agriculture subcommittee and clarifying their intentions.

So? What does ag matter in a place formerly called the Garden State? First, farming is still a big industry in NJ. This department is responsible for farmland preservation as well as deeply involved in fighting urban childhood obesity. They are key to the landscape industry and soil and water conservation.

20 January 2010

The LiveBlog is back! The common lecture is back and begins with Kat Kohler (seen to the left, sketching in Spain) speaking about The Netherlands.

Ms. Kohler is a recent winner of the DeBoer Travel Prize which supported a study trip she took last summer to the Netherlands. Her investigation endeavored to explore a myriad of ways that the Dutch have dealt with water as an environmental hazard. Needless to say, they are pretty concerned about sea level rise. An interesting example was the Oostershelde Storm Surge Barrier which protects during storms, but lets the tides flow otherwise.

If you are an LA student at Rutgers (with a 3.0 or better), you can apply to take your own study trip this summer. You'll need to write a proposal that impresses the reviewers with a serious question and approach to the investigation. Applications for DeBoer Travel Prize will be due the Monday after Spring Break. Details will be posted in Blake Hall.

Summary:Introduction to historic landscapes and gardens in Italy with special focus on Tuscany, Liguria and Piedmont. Throughout the course, you will visit several urban and rural landscapes. Emphasis will be placed on the historic and contemporary context of the Italian environment with relation to political, economic and military power, urban space, restoration, literature, agriculture, tourism and Anglo-American influence. We will also discuss 'green design' and sustainability in Italy in comparison with the United States. Course work will include research, observation, analysis, and documentation of various gardens and landscapes. Review and discussion periods will be held to evaluate your work, to share insights, and to discuss the attributes of each site. All coursework will be in English. Both instructors have lived in Italy for several years, are fluent in Italian, and pride themselves on knowing many 'secret treasures' of Italy that they will enthusiastically share with the students.

Themes:Eco- and Cultural- TourismGarden and Urban RestorationGardens, Landscapes and PowerLandscapes and LiteratureSustainable Agriculture and DesignThe Anglo-American Obsession with ItalyUrban Spaces of the Piedmont, Liguria and Tuscany

Accommodations, Food and Travel:Housing is in apartments and hotels in shared rooms with bathroom facilities. You will have different housing arrangements in each city you visit. Please contact the Landscape Architecture Department for specific details regarding accommodation during the program. The cost of most food is not included in the program fee although some hotels may include breakfast and there are several group dinners included in the course fee. You may be allowed to prepare some of your own meals in the kitchens of the residence units or eat in local establishments. All travel within Italy, including entrances to museums and gardens, is included in the course fee. Travel to and from Italy is the responsibility of the individual student. If you need help or suggestions for travel arrangements you can contact the program director.

Program DirectorAri Novy will direct the program in Italy. He is able to help you with advising, problems you encounter, travel suggestions, and a host of other tips and advice relating to the program. Questions regarding the program should be directed to Ari Novy (arinovy@rci.rutgers.edu).

Approximate Cost: $3,600. Includes tuition, most fees, housing, excursion, travel within Italy, some food and basic medical insurance. Air travel, most food, and personal expenses are not included.

This course is open to all students from any university.

For more information please go tohttp://studyabroad.rutgers.edu/program_italy_landscapearch.html or e-mailarinovy@rci.rutgers.edu.

19 January 2010

----------------------------------------------Join Uconn's Center for Land use Education And Research (CLEAR) January 21 for a webinar:An Introduction to Putting Maps & Geographic Data on the Web

This brief and painless webinar will provide a quick introduction to techniques for puttingmaps and geographic data on the web. We’ll be giving an overview of the range of these rapidly evolving techniques, which fuse geographic information system (GIS) and internettechnologies. The primary focus will be on “mashups,” which utilize free, interactive earthbrowsers (Google Earth, Google Maps, Bing Maps) to display data and related information over the web. During the webinar we’ll introduce basic methods for creating a mashup and visit a number of examples from around the web, live and without a safety net!

This introductory webinar is the first in a series by the University of Connecticut Centerfor Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR), as a part of a multi-year project funded byUSDA/NIFA. The webinars and related workshops are designed for members of the USDA/NIFANational Water Quality Integrated Program, NOAA Sea Grant, and NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve networks.

Sign up, and get a feel for how this technology can help you in your work. All in a mere 45 minutes of your time!

15 January 2010

The United Nations Department of Field Support (DFS), Logistics SupportDivision (LSD), and Specialist Support Section (SSS) are seeking the assistance of fourGIS volunteers. All four volunteers will be working at the UN office in NYC.

Job description for Position 1:

1) Remote sensing Specialist:- Experienced with ERDAS- Capable of image interpretation and change detection- Experienced with various types of imagery

While I'll post nearly any good job opportunity for LA/LI/EP/EG students, I am a particularly big fan of the HABS program. When I worked for John Scruggs (a Harvard GSD classmate of Kiley, Eckbo, and Rose) he talked about his summer job he got measuring an old house in Virgina. Even at 80, his drawings were always beautiful, so I can only imagine how great his drawings of Mt Vernon must have looked. But instead of talking about the drawings, he impressed upon me how much he learned from the experience. I don't know for sure that it was HABS, but it sure sounds like it was and I would encourage our more gifted drawers and drafters to pursue these experiences ASAP:

2010 SUMMER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

ARCHITECTS · LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS · HISTORIANS · ENGINEERS

SUMMER JOBS WITH HABS/HAER/HALS

The Heritage Documentation Programs (Historic American Buildings Survey / Historic American Engineering Record / Historic American Landscapes Survey), a division of the National Park Service, seeks applications from qualified individuals for summer employment documenting historic sites and structures of architectural, landscape and technological significance throughout the country. Duties involve on-site field work and preparation of measured and interpretive drawings and written historical reports for the HABS/HAER/HALS Collection at the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. Projects last twelve weeks, beginning in late May or early June.

Salaries range from approximately $6,000 to approximately $11,000 for the summer, depending on job responsibility, locality of the project, and level of experience. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Applications must be postmarked by February 8, 2010.

The Sally Kress Tompkins Fellowship, a joint program of the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH), permits an architectural historian to conduct research on a 12-week HABS project during the summer of 2010. The award consists of a $10,000 stipend. Applicants should be pursuing graduate studies in architectural history or other related fields. Applications must be postmarked by February 1, 2010.

For detailed information, visit: http://www.nps.gov/history/hdp/jobs/tompkins.htm or contact James A. Jacobs at or (202) 354-2184.

MARITIME DOCUMENTATION INTERNSHIP 2010

The Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) and the Council of American Maritime Museums (CAMM) announce the Maritime Documentation Internship 2010. The internship will permit a student or recent graduate of architecture or history, interested in maritime preservation, to work on a HAER maritime documentation project. The applicant must be a U.S. Citizen. The selected recipient will receive a stipend of approximately $7,000 and will work with a HAER team for 12 weeks during the summer. The Internship will require research and writing or measuring and drafting of historic maritime resources. Applications must be postmarked by February 8, 2010.

12 January 2010

As you can probably tell, this is a direct copy from something sent my way. But it seemed like it might be of interest to some of our readers and didn't warrant further changes:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~New Jersey Conservation Foundation is currently seeking a full-time top notch Raiser'sEdge Database administrator/ administrative assistant to join the Development andCommunications team of our successful statewide nonprofit environmental organization.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ideal candidate will have:

* At least 3 years Blackbaud Raiser's Edge fundraising software administration and usage experience;* Excellent Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and Publisher skills;* Excellent internet research skills;* Excellent written, oral communications and time management skills;* Meticulous attention to details;* High level of comfort working on multiple tasks in deadline-oriented, fast-paced environment;* Friendly, outgoing personality with strong interpersonal skills, including the abilityto work as part of an integrated team;* High level of comfort working with all levels of staff, board, major donors, corporations,foundations and volunteers.* 3 + years experience in non-profit development or comparable work experience;* Commitment to the mission of NJCF;* Bachelor's degree or equivalent work-related experience.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~New Jersey Conservation Foundation, one of the nation's premier land preservation groups, seeks enthusiastic professionals to join our growing team. We are a leading force in the nation's strongest open space movement, with over 30 staff and a 50-year history. We offer competitive nonprofit salaries (commensurate with experience), offices in a beautiful setting, an excellent benefits program, and a great work environment.

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to having a diverse staff, where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interested applicants should email or fax their resume to:Maria Hauser at maria@njconservation.org [mailto:maria@njconservation.org]908-234-1189

02 January 2010

The Cape May Herald reports on two studies that say that sea level rise will be worse in that area than elsewhere. Not only is the sea level rising there, but the land is slowly sinking into the Atlantic. The Philadelphia Enquirer spoke with the researchers at Penn responsible for the papers as well as other experts:

"There are two take-homes here," added Kenneth Miller, a Rutgers University researcher who reviewed the studies. "There's been an acceleration of sea-level rise from pre-Industrial Revolution rates.. . . And we're throwing on one to two millimeters a year in New Jersey due to sinking."

01 January 2010

As you watch the grandaddy of them all, the Rose Bowl, you can wonder whether those schools' fight songs are really so great. Or, you can just trust this completely unbiased list of the top 10 college fight songs:

In a recent feature, the Star-Ledger focused on Rutgers' mapmaker Mike Siegel and included a quote from CRSSA's John Bognar. Both are extremely gifted cartographers whose maps are always beautiful.

It is a lengthy piece and well worth the time, but here are the highlights:

"If I were anywhere in the world,’’ Bognar adds, "I’d want to have one of Mike’s maps because it will be accurate, reliable and creative in how it can tell a story. In this digital age of computer-generated maps, Mike’s work shows that the design and understanding behind the map is as important as the technology.’’

About the Author

An Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture in Rutgers’ School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. He also serves as Associate Director of the Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis and Undergradaute Program Director for Environmental Planning and Design. As a graduate of Kentucky (BSLA), LSU (MLA) and Wisconsin (PhD), he has a passion for the critical role of state universities as a source for world-class research and education based on inquiry arousal but is too busy keeping up this award-winning blog. Dr. Tulloch can be reached at dtulloch[at]crssa.rutgers.edu

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